


Books and Covers

by Ithildin



Series: Echoes the Sea [28]
Category: Highlander: The Series, Iron Man (2008), Magnificent Seven (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossover, Friendship, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Non Cannonical Immortal, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-24
Updated: 2010-01-24
Packaged: 2017-10-06 15:57:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithildin/pseuds/Ithildin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Resistance is futile -- some friendships are just meant to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Books and Covers

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Strangevisitor7 and Ninjababe for the beta! This is a bit of back story dealing with Tony and Charlotte's first meeting in 2001 that explains how they became friends and not lovers. Many thanks to everyone who has been so enthusiastic about this series and these characters over the last months!
> 
> For those of you new to the series, Ezra is an Immortal, as is Maude. Charlotte was Maude's teacher and Ezra's. Some of these stories are set in the Old West, and others are set modern day.

_Monte Carlo, September 2001_

"Having fun yet?" Ezra Standish asked brightly, coming up to one of the many small candlelit tables that were scattered around the large garden terrace where a party was in full swing.

Charlotte Sparrow glanced over at her companion as he sat down next to her. "Not as much fun as you, I'm sure." She accepted the glass of champagne he handed her. "But at least the booze is good," she allowed, taking a sip.

Shaking his head, he sighed dramatically. "And just how much do I need to get you to drink before you let your hair down," he asked, gently tugging at a shoulder length strand of her ink black hair. "Figuratively speaking of course."

Rolling her eyes, she smacked his hand away, ignoring his smart aleck grin and irresistibly cute dimples. They'd been adorable when he was five, and still were at a hundred and sixty-three. And he knew it too. "I came to the party, didn't I?"

Ezra, who was currently known as Edward Zachary Sanbourne, Ez to his friends, famed photographer and something of a celebrity in his own right, had cajoled her into attending a 'little soiree' held by his friend, the Contessa de Silveira. How he had managed to convince her to be his date, she still wasn't sure. Charlotte had little use for the idle rich, and even less for socializing with them. Yet here she was, beachside in Monte Carlo, sipping champagne.

"Now, now," he chided. "Don't be grumpy; your face will freeze like that," he told her, mimicking one of the lines he'd heard frequently from her during his childhood.

"Weren't you playing poker?" she asked pointedly.

"I was," he replied, still grinning. "But we are taking a short respite, and I thought I would spend some time with my favourite cousin. You are my date, after all."

"Such a gentleman," she said wryly.

"I like to think so." He leaned back in his chair, tapping a finger against the table top. "I realize this is something of a concept, but perchance, have you considered mingling, maybe even, I don't know...dancing?"

Draining her champagne, she shot him a glare. "Maude put you up to this, didn't she?" she demanded. "That's why you asked me to come to this party!"

Charlotte had been on a business trip in Italy when Ezra had called her, asking her to join him in Monte Carlo. As it had been several months since she'd seen the younger Immortal, she had readily accepted his invitation. She had been putting in double time getting her new winery off the ground in San Luis Obispo, and a short vacation with Ezra seemed the perfect idea. But he'd failed to mention the party till this afternoon. Now she was beginning to think his sudden desire to spend time with his 'dear Cousin Charlotte' had been a setup.

"Really, Charlotte! Such a suspicious mind you have," he said reprovingly. "Perhaps mother did mention that you seemed a little peaked after your last sojourn together, but that had nothing to do with my invitation, I assure you." At her eloquently arched eyebrow, he amended, "Very well, perhaps it had a _little_ something to do with it."

"Hah!" She crossed her arms. "I knew it! Ezra, just because I prefer leading a quiet life does not mean that you and Maude need to stage an intervention."

"There's quiet and then there's one foot in the grave," he shot back. "I distinctly recall someone telling me once upon a time that life was meant to be lived." Pausing, he placed a finger against his lips. Then he pointed at her. "Oh, wait; I remember now. That was you!"

A waiter came by, refilling her glass. Staring at the bubbles, she shook her head in defeat. "Fine, I'll mingle, just for you."

He looked incredibly smug. "Very glad to hear it, dear cousin, because you're about to have your chance."

Quizzically, she glanced over to where he was looking. "No! Absolutely not!"

Ezra paid no attention to her. "I'll introduce you, shall I?"

Now she knew for certain she'd been conned. "I'm going to get you for this, Ezra," she hissed as Tony Stark sauntered up to their table.

Ezra only chuckled as he stood, holding out his hand. "Mr. Stark, a pleasure, as always," he greeted the billionaire, shaking his hand.

"Ez, glad you could make it," he replied. "Loved that last layout you did for Rolling Stone. You always capture my best side," he said with a smirk.

"If only all my subjects were as easy to work with," Ezra told him.

While the two men had been talking, Charlotte had attempted to unobtrusively back away and make her escape, but Ezra's hand at her waist stopped her.

"This must be Charlotte," Tony said, turning the full wattage of his attention towards her.

How on earth did he know who she was? Ezra was behind it, she was sure. Damn him anyway! The excellent performance of the Stark Industries stock she held in her portfolio was the only thing she cared about in regards to the company or its CEO. Ezra couldn't possibly think she'd have any interest in the infamous lothario.

"Pardon my manners," Ezra said. "Charlotte, may I introduce Tony Stark. Tony, this is my cousin, Charlotte Sparrow."

"Sparrow, like the bird?" Tony enquired with a grin.

Charlotte held out her hand. "Yes, just like the bird, Mr. Stark," she said as he took her hand, lifting it to his lips instead of shaking it. _Lord, I really am going to kill Ezra,_ she thought, all the while keeping a polite smile on her lips.

"It's Tony," he corrected. "Ez has told me all about you."

"Is that right?" Mentally, she was planning various painful forms of retribution against her so called cousin and former student.

"We were playing cards at his place in Manhattan a few weeks back," Tony explained. "Your photo really doesn't do you justice."

"Tony was looking over the photos that weren't used in the Rolling Stone article," Ezra said. "Some of the winery shots I took several months ago were out in my studio."

"I have to say though, I do miss the flour," Tony told her with a wide smile, his dark brown eyes glinting with mischievous delight. He reached out, barely touching her cheek with one fingertip as if wiping something off her face.

_He is so dead!_ The last time Charlotte had seen Ezra, she had been giving a tour of the winery to a group of Brownies. When it had started to rain, the tour had turned into an impromptu cookie baking afternoon. With a dozen excited little girls in her kitchen, there had been flour all over, a good deal of it on her. Ezra had been there _helping_; stealing cookies and keeping the children in a nearly constant stream of giggles and laughter. She knew he'd been taking photos of the girls, but she'd had no idea he'd been taking photos of her as well.

She jabbed Ezra in the ribs with an elbow. "I forgot to pack any," she commented dryly, shooting Ezra a look. He just flashed her an unrepentant grin, his gold tooth glinting in the reflected candlelight.

Tony leaned in, saying softly, "I'm sure we could find some."

His breath was warm against her face and there was frank appreciation in his gaze as he looked into her eyes. She marveled that the man could make such an outrageous line so damn sexy. It would seem that Mr. Stark came by his reputation honestly, so to speak.

Despite her best intentions, she found herself smiling up at him. "Oh, of that, I have no doubt, Mr. Stark."

"Tony," he reminded her. "So when Ez told me you'd be here tonight, I knew I had to meet you; flour's very sexy."

God, did she just giggle? She had! And she had to admit, his eyes were very pretty. _You've had too much champagne!_ "Then my kitchen would practically be a den of iniquity—" she paused, her lips curling into a slow, lazy smile "—Tony."

That got a genuine laugh from the man. "You know I'm going to expect an invitation once we get back to the States," he told her. "But in the meantime, perhaps you'd care to dance?" He held out his hand, a hand she found herself taking, much to her surprise. Tony Stark was not at all what she'd been expecting.

"I'd be delighted."

"Yeah, you will; I guarantee it," Tony replied, his voice all teasing charm with an undercurrent of heat.

She shook her head. It seemed he had a snappy comeback for every occasion. "Shall we then?" she asked, nodding towards the dance floor.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a card game to get back to," Ezra told them, dropping a quick kiss on Charlotte's cheek. "Any chance we'll see you later, Tony?"

"Not any chance at all," he told Ezra while keeping his eyes focused solely on Charlotte.

Looking like the cat that swallowed the canary, Ezra said, "Well then, you two have fun." With one last pleased smile, he took his leave.  


  


=========================_____________________=========================

  


"What are you thinking, right now?" Tony asked her, pulling her a little closer as they danced.

"What makes you think it's anything in particular?" she parried his question.

He laughed softly, and she could feel his smile ghost past her cheek, the touch not quite a kiss, though it felt as intimate.

"You have very expressive eyes," he told her. "They're like windows."

"Do you use that line often?" she asked with a laugh.

"I don't need a line, or didn't you know?" he asked, the casualness of his tone masking something deeper.

Charlotte slipped her hand farther up his shoulder, her fingertips brushing up under his hair to rest against his neck. She realized her flippant comment had stung the man who held her in his arms; and her heart clenched a little. No, Tony Stark was nothing like she had expected.

Looking up at him apologetically, she said, "Honestly? I was wondering how you could bear people always watching you; prying and snooping."

Over the last few hours they had spent together, she had noticed the constant scrutiny they'd been under from the other party goers. It had made her skin crawl, and didn't know how he could stand it day in and day out.

"Seriously? I thrive on it. Attention, excitement… stimulation," the last said more than a little provocatively.

She laughed lightly. "Fast cars and fast women?"

"Amongst other things," he allowed with a smirk.

The music ended, and he held her there just for a moment. But it was a moment that made her realize his eyes were windows too; if you only took the trouble to really look. Then he was taking her hand, leading her off the dance floor. Drawing her hand into the crook of his arm, he led her to the edge of the terrace, looking out over the Mediterranean.

The sounds of the surf twined together with the strains of music, the murmur of voices, and the clink of glassware. She looked up at her companion as he gazed at the sea. Then she asked, "What other things, Tony?"

He looked genuinely surprised at her question. She shrugged. "I answered yours," she reminded him.

"Yeah, I guess you did." He looked at her, as if considering his answer. Absently, he twined a strand of her hair around his finger.

She leaned in closer, resting her hand against his chest. "I play the piano and bake. To relax. But not at the same time." Giggling, she added, "That would be kind of messy."

"But it would explain the flour," he said with a wink. Finally, he answered her question. "I have a workshop. Okay, really, most of the time I'm inventing things that explode, because that's what I do. But when I'm really cutting loose, I work on cars."

"Really?" Well now I know who to call when my pickup breaks down," she told him delightedly, imagining Tony Stark working on her beat-up old truck.

"Better than Triple A, sweetheart," he affirmed.

"Do you wear one of those cute t-shirts with the sleeves cut off?" she teased.

"Sometimes—" he slipped his hands into her hair, drawing her closer "—I don't wear a shirt at all." His voice was a low growl that melded with the sound of the sea as it purred across the sand.

This time, he did kiss her, his lips soft against hers. Absently, she realized that in her four inch heels, he wasn't that much taller than she was. It took not much more than a simple tilt of her head for her to look into his eyes. And looking into those eyes, she felt a connection that she hadn't for so long. That feeling was like the heady rush of leaping off a cliff, diving into the ocean below. She'd almost forgotten what this was like; she could lose herself in the sensation so very easily.

His eyes smiled into hers. "Let's take a walk," he whispered.

Nodding, she reached down to take off her sandals, Tony holding her hand to balance her. Leaving them on the terrace, she took his proffered arm, letting him lead her down the steps and out onto the beach.  


======================__________________======================

  


The sand was warm between her toes as she and Tony walked in silence towards the surf. Somehow, they didn't need words, just the comfort of each other's company; two lonely souls finding a touchstone in an uncaring world.

They were both a little drunk, she knew that. But she didn't care. She tightened her hold on Tony's arm, pushing back the unbidden memory of another man with deep brown eyes who used to walk with her on the beach so many centuries ago.

"I'm sorry," Tony suddenly said, stopping to turn and look at her.

"For what?"

"Letting Ez set you up," he admitted a little sheepishly. "I'm used to getting what I want, and I wanted to meet you."

Laughing softly, she reached up, brushing his lips with her thumb. "I'm quite used to Ez and his penchant for trying to hook me up. You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"No harm, no foul then," he said with a wicked smile before taking her in his arms. This time when he kissed her, it was insistent and passionate.

Holding him close she returned the kiss, letting the moment take her, with no thought for the future. His hands were warm against her bare back, and she shivered as they slipped under the edge of her dress to caress the skin beneath. It would be so easy to let this moment continue on to its obvious conclusion. But… oh, god, but! This wasn't the man she'd expected when Ezra had introduced them. Not the callow player of the tabloids. He was so much more, could be so much more, if only anyone cared enough to see past the surface.

He rested his forehead against hers. "Come back with me to my yacht." His voice was full of heat and promise.

Reaching up, she pressed her lips against his, just for a moment; one last time. "I can't, Tony."

Shock was the predominate emotion on his face at her reply, but there was also a trace of hurt, before it was quickly wiped away. "Why not?"

"Because this has been a perfect evening, and some moments just can't be improved upon." She knew he didn't understand, not now, but one day, he would.

"That makes no sense," he practically sputtered.

"I know, Tony, I know." She took a step away from him. "But if it makes you feel better, if you'd been the man I thought you were, I might have said yes."

"That _doesn't_ make me feel better!" he exclaimed.

"It should!" she said with a warm smile, moving away. "Because you can't just judge a book by its cover, Tony Stark, and your cover? It doesn't even begin to do you justice."  


======================__________________======================

  
_Epilogue ~ Three Years Later_

Another autumn, another soiree at the Contessa's. Charlotte stood at the edge of the terrace, remembering that first party. She hadn't realized at the time that she'd be acquiring a best friend, or that she'd actually be grateful to Ezra for his meddling. Tony Stark had very efficiently and effectively upturned her well ordered and quiet life, and honestly, she'd loved every moment.

Two hands came to rest at her waist, and the scent of Tony's cologne tickled at her nose. "So this is where you got off to."

Smiling, she leaned against his chest. "I didn't want to impede your progress with Super Model Number Five. Or was she Two? I get them confused."

"Three, actually," Tony said cheerfully. "And besides, Birdie, it's no fun without my wingman!"

She turned in his arms, laughing. "And just how did I end up with that thankless job?" she asked, looking up at him with a quirk of an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on on! You love it!" he cajoled.

"Oh, yes, I love it," she repeated obediently, smirking.

"A little lacking in the sincerity department," he said archly, "but I'll let it go this time."

"You do that." She kissed him on the cheek before stepping away to lean against the terrace wall.

She greeted Ezra as he came to join them, the two men sharing something of a conspiratorial look. That look always made her nervous. Just what were the two of them cooking up this time?

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

Both men shook their heads innocently. "Really, Charlotte, you needn't give us that look," Ezra protested.

"What look?"

"The one that says you're wondering how much bail money to put aside," he replied dryly.

Tony's bark of laughter echoed in the night. "That's exactly it!"

"It isn't!" She pouted. "And besides, it's not like it's without cause!"

Ezra looked smugly at Tony, an 'I told you so' smile on his lips. "Tony and I were merely entertaining the idea of the three of us going on a short vacation."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you, me, Ez. The jet's all ready to go and Pepper's made the arrangements." Tony was rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Charlotte gave Ezra a look. "Entertaining?"

"Yes, well, perhaps we had moved onto the actual planning stages," Ezra admitted.

"Because we knew you'd be grateful for our thoughtfulness and caring," Tony told her with a wide grin.

It was hopeless. She didn't stand a chance between the two of them, and they knew it too. Brats! "So when do we leave?"

"Knew you'd see it our way!" Tony told her.

"And you can assure Miss Potts that she can go on _her_ vacation with no concerns," Ezra added.

At Charlotte's questioning look, Tony explained, "She seems to think I need adult supervision." Ezra snorted. "Said she would rest easier knowing you were around to keep me on the straight and narrow."

Charlotte began to giggle. "Does Pepper think I've recently acquired some sort of superpower?"

"Cute, Birdie, cute," Tony said witheringly. "It's not that funny!" He shot Ezra a glare, the other man wiping a tear of mirth from his eye.

"Yes, actually, Tony love, it is," she said, catching her breath. She took his arm. "Now, don't pout. Didn't you say we had a jet to catch?"

As the group made their way back to the party, she asked, "Just where are we going anyway?"

Tony snagged a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, handing it to her. "Oh, didn't we mention that? Bali; you're going to love it!"

End


End file.
